Midwifery Service Crisis Under the Taliban Regime
By Hania Forotan, translated into English by Rustam Seerat
On International Day of the Midwife, May 5, the world acknowledged a global shortage of 900,000 midwives, a gap hindering efforts to reduce preventable maternal and child deaths. But in Afghanistan, the situation is especially dire. Here, midwives like Sara*, 24, grapple with Taliban restrictions, unemployment, and meager wages.
Sara, one of the few female midwives in Sar-e Pol province, single-handedly cares for hundreds of women and children at a secondary health center. “My salary barely supports my family,” she says. Staff shortages force her beyond her typical prenatal and postnatal duties, leaving her to manage a broader range of medical needs.
Taliban policies create further burdens. Salary cuts have shrunk Sara’s income to 18,000 Afghanis. She must also wear a hijab, work in segregated spaces, and be accompanied by a male guardian (mahram) daily. “This requirement means my brother can’t attend school; he has to keep me company when commuting between home and work,” she laments. The constant need for a mahram hinders her daily life.
Salary cuts have shrunk Sara’s income to 18,000 Afghanis. She must also wear a hijab, work in…
